Feature Availability 

Vtiger Editions: One Pilot | One Growth | One Professional | One Enterprise | One AI

Introduction

In today’s business environment, collaborating with external partners, such as resellers, consultants, and other third-party businesses, can be a key factor for success. These partnerships help companies expand their reach and enhance their sales capabilities. The Vtiger CRM Partner Portal is designed to streamline and optimize communication and collaboration with these partners, providing them with access to essential information and modules.

Benefits of the Partner Portal

• Streamlined Communication: Partners can independently access key CRM data, such as deals, contacts, and documents, which minimizes back-and-forth communication and enhances efficiency.
• Improved Collaboration: Partners can manage leads, quotes, and cases directly through the portal, facilitating better teamwork and streamlined workflows.
• Enhanced Transparency: The portal offers partners visibility into their tasks.

In this article, you will learn about:

• Installing the partner portal
• Configuring the partner portal
• Adding and managing the partners
• Enabling portal access for partners
• Sharing contacts with partner
• Viewing records created by partners 
• Displaying logo on the Partner Portal 

Installing the Partner Portal

You must first install the Partner Portal from Vtiger’s Extension Store.

Follow these steps to install the Partner Portal:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the screen.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
4. Go to Extensions.
5. Click Add-ons. The Add-ons page opens.
6. Select Partner Portal and click the Install button.

Once installed, you will find Partner Contact and Partner Organization modules under Sales > Partner Management.

Configuring the Partner Portal

Once the Partner Portal is installed, you need to configure it. You also need to configure Portal Layout and Profile Layout.

Follow these steps to configure the Partner Portal:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the User Menu.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
4. Go to Marketing & Sales > Partner Portal. The Partner Portal page opens.
5. Enter or select the following information to configure:
   1. Partner Portal URL - The unique link partners use to access the portal.
   2. Default Assignee  - The default case owner for any case created from the Partner Portal. 
   3. Forgot Password Template - Select the email template from the dropdown, which will be used for the Forgot Password email sent when a partner clicks the Forgot Password link on the portal's login page.
   4. CSS URL for Custom Theme  - A link to an external CSS file for customizing the portal's appearance with brand colors, fonts, and layout.
   5. Portal Layout - Configure the Partner Portal by selecting which modules to display and defining the functions that partners can perform in the modules.
   6. Profile Layout  - Defines the partner profile page layout, showing specific fields like contact info and company details and setting permissions for which fields can be edited. 
6. Click Save.

Now, we will learn more about the Portal layout and Profile layout. 

Portal Layout 

The Portal Layout section controls how the modules and fields in a portal are arranged and what actions are available for partners in the Partner Portal.

Follow these steps to configure the Portal Layout:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
4. Go to Marketing & Sales > Partner Portal. The Partner Portal page opens.
5. Go to the Portal Layout session. 
6. Click Portal Layout. The following sessions will be displayed.
7. Enter or select the following information to configure the portal
   1. Portal Menu -  Displays a list of available modules. Enable the Checkbox if you want to display the module in the Partner Portal.
   2. Portal Home Page - If you need a document widget (for managing or displaying documents) on the portal home page, you can enable it under this section.
   3. Actions on Individual Modules - Click on a module available in the Portal Menu to customize the following permissions.
      1. Read Only -  Enable this option to allow partners only to view records in that module.
      2. Read and Write - Enable this checkbox if you want partners to be able to edit the records in the module.
      3. Records Visibility - Displays records from the selected module that are associated with partner contacts or partner organizations.
      4. Related Information - Displays information from related modules. The modules which are enabled here, will be shown in the record summary view in the portal record
      5. Record Permissions - Enable Create Record to allow partners to create records and Edit Record to let them modify existing ones.
   4. Rearranging Modules - Drag and drop the modules to set the order in which they will appear in the partner portal

Profile Layout

Defines the structure of a partner’s profile page, showing specific fields like contact info and company details and setting permissions for which fields can be edited.

Follow these steps to configure the Profile Layout:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
4. Go to Marketing & Sales > Partner Portal. The Partner Portal page opens.
5. Go to the Profile Layout session. 
6. Click Profile Layout. 
7. Enter or select the following information to configure the portal:
   1. Partner Contacts
   2. Partner Organization

Adding and Managing Partners

After successfully installing the Partner Portal, you will see the Partner Contacts and Partner Organizations modules in the CRM.

Adding a Partner Contact

Follow these steps to add a partner contact:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to Sales > Partner Management > Partner Contacts. The Partner Contacts page opens. 
4. Click +Add Partner Contacts. An Add Partner Contacts page opens.
5. Enter all the mandatory fields.
6. Click Save.

Adding Partner Organization

Follow these steps to add a partner Organization:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to Sales >Partner Management > Partner Organization. The Partner Organization page opens.
4. Click +Add Partner Organization. An Add Partner Organization page opens.
5. Enter all the mandatory fields and set the Partner Status to Active.
6. Link the contact you created in the previous section to the organization using the Primary Contact field. You can also create new contacts by clicking the + icon.
7. Click Save.

Enabling Portal Access for Partners

Follow these steps to enable portal access for partners:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to Sales > Partner Management > Partner Contacts. The Partner Portal page opens.
4. Open a record. The Summary view of the record is displayed.
5. Click the Details view. 
6. Go to the Partner Portal field. Enable the checkbox.
7. Click Save.

Ensuring Email Delivery

To ensure that the email with portal credentials is delivered to the partners, you must enable a setting in the CRM.

Follow these steps to ensure email delivery:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the CRM screen.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens. 
4. Go to Configuration > Email Settings. The Email Settings page opens.
5. Click the Edit icon.
6. Go to the Required Opt-in for Email Delivery section.
7. Enable the checkbox for Allow sending workflow emails to contacts that have opted-out.
8. Click Save.

Sharing contacts with Partners

Contacts can be shared with partners in the following ways:

1. Sharing contacts with a partner
2. Sharing contacts with an organization

Sharing contacts with a partner

Follow these steps to share contacts with a partner:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to Essentials > Contact.  The Contact page opens.
4. Open a Record. The Summary view of the record is displayed.
5. Click the Details view.
6. Go to the Partner Contact session. 

7. You can select or add the following information to add a partner contact:
   1. Select - click the Select icon to select a partner contact. 
   2. Create - click the + icon to add a new partner contact. 
8. Click Save.

Sharing contacts with an organization

Follow these steps to share contacts with an organization:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to Sales >Partner Management > Partner Organization. The Partner Organization page opens.
4. Open a Record. The Summary view of the record is displayed.

5. Click the More icon.
6. Select Referred Contacts. A What do you want to do popup box opens.

7. Enter or select the following information to share contacts:
   1. Link Contacts 
      1. Click Link Contacts. A box with the list of contacts opens.
      2. Select the required contacts that should be shared with partners.
      3. Click Add. 
   2. Add Contacts
      1. Click Add Contacts. A Quick Create > Contacts box opens.
      2. Fill in all the Mandatory fields. 
      3. Click Save.

Note: The shared contacts will only be visible to the partners to whom you have enabled the Partner Portal checkbox in the record. Any contacts added by partners in the partner portal will be reflected in the Contacts module, with the source labeled as Partner Portal.

Viewing Records Created by Partners

When partners add records, such as contacts, deals, or cases, through the Partner Portal, these records will automatically appear in the respective modules in your CRM. Additionally, if a partner adds comments to a record (e.g., a case), those comments will be visible within the record's summary view. Any reply or comment added from your end will also be visible to the partner in the Partner Portal.  

Example:

When a partner creates a record, like a Case titled Login Issue, their name shows in the CreatedByExt field. If they update the description to Occurred during password reset, their name appears in the ModifiedByExt field. For comments, like an Issue reported by multiple customers, the comment and their name are shown in the Comments Section. Replies from your side will also be visible to the partner in the Partner Portal.

Follow these steps to view records:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the Main Menu.
3. Go to the respective module (e.g., Cases). The List View of the module opens. 
4. Open the record created by the partner. The Summary View of the record opens.
5. View the following details in the record added by the partner:
   1. Summary Tab - Provides an overview of the case with the following sections:
      1. Header Section - Displays assigned CRM user, case origin (organization/contact), Case ID, and priority.
      2. Activities Section - Contains partner's issue/query descriptions, internal comments, and email replies. Each comment will display the partner’s name and timestamp. Replies from you will also be visible to the partner in the Partner Portal.
      3. OneView Section - Shows SLA information, links to contact and organization records, and associated deals.
      4. Recommendation Section - Provides case-related suggestions and Vtiger CRM recommendations.
      5. Analysis Section - Displays contact-related metrics in charts and mini-lists, allowing for custom reports.
   2. Details Tab - Displays full case details, including assigned CRM users and progress status. It also includes:
      1. CreatedByExt Field - Identifies the partner who created the record.
      2. ModifiedByExt Field - Shows the last partner who modified it.
   3. Updates Tab - Logs all modifications made by partners and the CRM team.
      1. Displays details of actions performed, such as who executed them, along with date, time, and specifics.
      2. Includes activities like document uploads, emails sent, case status changes, or updates to case information.
   4. Events Tab - Used for scheduling calls, meetings, or follow-ups related to the case.
   5. Tasks Tab - Enables task creation for CRM users to address partner-submitted requests.
   6. Documents Tab - Displays all attached files shared between partners and the CRM team.
      1. Link a document by clicking on the Link Document button.
      2. Upload a document by clicking on the Upload Document button.
      3. View a document by clicking on the View icon in each document row.
      4. Download a document by clicking on the Download icon in each document row.

Displaying  logo on the Partner Portal 

You can customize the Partner Portal by displaying your company logo, giving your partners a personalized branding experience. Once uploaded, the logo will appear on the Partner Portal.

Follow these steps to upload and display your company logo in the Partner Portal:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the User Menu in the top right corner.
3. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.
4. Go to Settings >Configuration > Company Details. The Company Details page opens. 
5. Click Edit. The Edit page opens. 
6. Click the Upload option.
7. Select and upload the company logo.
8. Click Save.

The uploaded logo will appear on the Partner Portal's login screen. 

Reference

Using the Partner Portal
Partner Portal - Cases